The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1887-04-17
THE POLICE IN POLITICS.
SHIFTING THE MEN TO HELP MR.
METERS RE-ELKCTIOH.


George Douglass Put on Duty to Prevent
Him from Workfna-Eig POIiceme IA
MOI Favorable TO Meyer Sent fro ma the
Fourth District Polls INTO Another. Pre-
einct.
The main argument used for the passage
of the Police Life Tenure bill was that, if
the men were assured of their places as
long as they behaved themselves, they
would be beyond the necessity of ''heeling"
for t1ls Commissioner whose favor alone
held them in their places before the act
became 3 law. They would thus be re-
moved from active participation in politics,
and would be in a position to discharge
their duties without fear or favor. Tue
personnel of the force would be i'm
proved, it was urged, and men would
strive to hold their positions through their
merits alone. The fallacy of this argu-
ment was shown in the SUNDAY MORNING
NEWS at the time of the passage of the act.
Its weakness was signally illustrated at the
election of Tuesday.
Police Commissioner Otto Meyer was
candidate Tor reelection in the Fourth Dis
trict. One of the warmest opponents he
George Douglass. SO that Douglass might
not work against him, he was transferred
some months ago from ervice in the Police
Court on the Hill to Justice Stilsings
court down town, and Clay keenan,. one
of Meyers pets, was sent to the Hill in his
place. Meyer was afraid of the harm
Douglass might do him if he were allowed
to roam, during his spare hours, over the
Fourth District on election day; and to
keep him away, Meyer had notice served
on him to report at Police Headquarters at
one O'Clock for duty there. Douglass re-
ported, but escaped as soon as he had
reported, and did some effective work for
EDDY O'Donnell, in spite of Meyers pre-
caution.
When Meyer made the round of the
polls election morning, he found eight
officers who were not favorable to his cleo
ton on guard at them. An hour later an
order reached Captain '.Mose'' Newton
directing that they be called in and sent
away to far off precincts. The names of
eight other officers, selected by Mayer pre-
sumably and willing to heel tor him, were
sent to the Captain; and he was directed
to replace the eight transferred men with
them at the polling places. his incident
proves beyond dispute that the police ma
| chine is used by the Republicans for politi-
cal purposes; and the fact that the trans
| fers were made on the special order OF
Chief of Police Murphy shows that the Life
Tenure bill has not sufficed to make even
hIm fearless and non-partisan in the dis
charge of HE duties.
| Chief of Police Murphy's explanation is
| that the transfers were made at the request
of Mr.. Meyer. He was his superior in the
Department, and the Chief did not feel ct
liberty to disregard his order. The Chief
would have won unlimited praise if he had
said to Commissioner Meyer that the police
force was not part of the. Republican
party machinery, and declined to make the
transfers; bat the Chief is noted for his
easy going good nature.
1t is not unlikely, however, that the
transfer of these men, for purely political
purposes, will be made the object of an
Investigation by the new Board when it
comes into power.